Never Trust Anyone
by socialdistortion
Summary: 'Perhaps what gave her away as a mere mortal was the slight tremor of her hands, or perhaps it was the scorching pride in the fathomless depths of her violet eyes.'
1. Unwelcome News & Unwelcome Visitors

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.

**Chapter One - Unwelcome News & Unwelcome Visitors**

The pale, slender girl stood upright, drawing herself up as tall as she possibly could despite her small height, proud chin apparent even in the dim light of the misty morning.  Her skin appeared ghostly in the fogged light, ice cold to the touch, and the brightness of her dress seemed to wither in the unrelieved gray of the merciless walls.  She seemed like some sort of ethereal fairy, come to frolic in those dreary stone hallways.  Perhaps what gave her away as a mere mortal was the slight tremor of her hands, or perhaps it was the scorching pride in the fathomless depths of her violet eyes. 

She, bracing herself with a deep breath and a noticeable mental shake, laid one hand upon the brass doorknob of the intimidating mahogany door.  Turning the knob, she strode confidently into the room, stopping to curtsy, an affair only of her ankles and the billowing skirts which covered her bare feet, for her eyes were not cast down as she looked straight up into the eyes of the rigid lady seated behind the desk.  

"Welcome, Alanna.  How nice of you to join me" spoke the thin disapproving lips.

Like some automaton of sorts, the girl opened her mouth mechanically, and spoke the required words of apology with a heavy dose of sarcasm after kissing the hand held out in front of her.  "I apologize for my tardiness, First Daughter.  Please forgive me for the nuisance I have caused." "And indeed you have caused quite a bit of nuisance" said the voice.  "As punishment, you shall have an extra hour of etiquette today.  However, there is something that must be discussed with you."

"Yes, My Lady."  The hard blue eyes flicked over the girl.  "I shall attend etiquette and suffer in silence though my head shall ache."

"Don't be pert!" snapped the lady behind the desk.  Smoothing one hand over the tight bun at the nape of her neck, she waited for the apology.  When it did not come, the creases in her forehead deepened.  She continued, her harsh voice cutting through the silence.  "This is for you.  Read it here."

Lady Alanna of Trebond glanced down, scathingly; at the letter the First Daughter was extending towards her.  She picked it up gingerly; glancing down for a second at the hem of the red skirts that hid the toes she sunk into the carpet from view.  The headmistress would have had fits and ordered her out of the school if she had seen the girl's bare feet.  Opening the letter, she scanned its contents quickly, her calm façade not quite succeeding in hiding her dismay.  

"Ladies married as young as thirteen when I was growing up" said the older woman, with a terrible, heavy kindness, after waiting for the barely sixteen-year old girl who stood almost frozen to break the silence.  Alanna quickly looked at her, surprised, but her fists clenched, the long fingernails digging into her palms, as if irritated that her six-year adversary could be sympathetic.    

"I don't care…I don't care for your pity nor your kindness!  Stop looking at me like that, as if you are trying to understand me- you hate me and you know that I know you hate me.  I shan't follow orders like some meek lamb just because I'm a _girl_.  I'll…I'll…run away and never come back to this horrible place!" shrieked the red-haired figure, color standing out in her cheeks, even as her breath grew ragged.   

"Alanna…" said the Duchess reprovingly.  "There is no need to get emotional."

"Don't tell me whether I should be emotional or not!! I shall be emotional if I want to be!" she cried, pulling up her skirts and running, leaving the Duchess's crisp words trailing after her.

It wasn't until she had exhausted herself that she stopped.  Out of breath from running blindly, she collapsed, to look around and see where she was.  Looking around, no signs of recognition flicked into her violet eyes, and she sighed and slumped down, her head upon her knees.  Her anger had worn itself out and replaced itself with weariness.  She merely wished to return to her bedchamber and sink into oblivion for a few hours at least, although it was at most midmorning.  She drew herself up dejectedly and noticed the nearest door, a plain simple wooden one.

                                                                                                            ~&~

A man with a shock of blond hair worn swept back strode quickly through the halls which were darkened with the coming of the dusk.  Ruffling through the papers in his hand hurriedly, he stopped abruptly when he noticed that in front of his chambers lay a young girl and on the door were two scorch marks.  Dropping the papers and pulling a crystal out of a pocket of his robes, he muttered a few words and the crystal shone a steady white, illuminating the area.  

Forgetting the girl lying comatose, the man examined the marks on the door.  It looked as if a person who was consumed with flame had laid two fingers upon the wood, burning the indentations and fingerprints into it, but not set the door on fire.  He stared it at it for some time, eyebrows drawn together, as if wondering what could have caused it.  A small sigh escaped from below, and with a start, he looked at the girl.        

Abundant red hair lay across her shoulders and arms, which were clothed in rich velvet brocade.  She was very small, barely tall enough to come up to his chin, but it was apparent that she was a noble attending the convent.  Under his breath, he muttered some profanities; annoyed he would have to cater to this wealthy brat.  What was she doing in front of his door anyway? 

Casually, as if he didn't believe it could be true, the young man lifted up the lady's hands.  He looked at them and then at his door, noting the smeared ash.  With a sharp intake of breath, he lifted the girl in his arms.  She wasn't very heavy at all, but after all, he was unused to physical labor.

He dropped her clumsily on a black couch in his outer chambers, hoping that the jolt would wake her, but she did not stir.  He mulled over his options.  If he took her to the infirmary, people would be wondering what she was doing alone, unchaperoned in a man's company and it would sully both of their reputations, not to mention a confrontation with the First Daughter.  If he took her back to her rooms, he would be spotted in that area and the same would result.  However, if he revived her, she could walk back unnoticed.  

Decidedly, he went to the door, muttered a spell, and closed the door even as his dropped papers rose neatly into his hands.  Then he walked into a whitewashed room, which was lined with shelves and shelves groaning under the weight of his spell books and concoctions and ingredients and herbs.  Picking up a vial of wakeflower, he uncorked it and impatiently put it under the noble's nose.  She did not wake.

Surprised, he felt her pulse, relieved to notice that it was still faint, but steady.  Had she not just fainted?  Was it merely a coincidence that she had ash smeared all over her fingers and his door had been burned?  Perhaps, her unconsciousness was purely magical, and not all caused by weariness or shock, as he had first thought.  This would take some study, but if she had spent herself magically, he did not know how long it would take for her to recover.  

If that was the problem, he should be very worried.  It wasn't just a matter of his honor or her reputation or petty things like that.  There was no reason that a lady could have spent herself magically, most especially a lady that he did not teach.  Jared Graystrip taught all the Gifted ladies at the Convent.  He had to teach the ladies to keep the magic in control, although all they wished to do with their Gifts was light candles or decorate things and do tricks.  He had never attempted to hide his dislike for his job, but where else could he get such a cushy post?

Paling, he wondered if he had somehow missed her magic when he had tested them all.  An untamed Gift could be extremely dangerous.  He had better wait until she waked up now, or at least see if he could rush the healing process.  He didn't care if he spent energy anymore, because he needed to find out if she had magic, and if she did, which he was uneasily beginning to think was more and more the case, what she had spent it on.  

Spreading a little oil on his hands, he placed them on the girl's stomach; he searched her body for the cause of her oblivion.  First he pushed his gray magic through her head, searching her brain for that sick feeling of a concussion, but felt nothing.  Her heart was beating steadily and healthy, the kidneys and liver were functioning properly.  It was when he had thought he would find nothing, that the girl had just up and fainted for no reason at all, that he felt it.  

It was just a sense of _wrongness_, not in her physical body per say, but in her magical aura, that he hit.  He gasped, feeling the extent of the damage.  That she had not used her Gift for a long while was apparent, and she had obviously just used it on some powerful spell, for her reserves should have been very large.  However, there was no real magic left there, merely residue of sorts.  

Jared could quicken the girl's healing, with some effects to him, himself.  He could supply her Gift with his until she could be revived with wakeflower and they would both be weak but conscious.  He reviewed what he knew so far, and decided to do so.  He gathered the gray stuff in a small ball inside of him and reached in there and fashioned into a sort of wall.  He pushed the wall at the emptiness of the girl, pushing as hard as he could and then lent some bricks of it to the remaining violet streaks.  

The violet fed off the gray magic, drawing it in to heal itself.  The mage could feel it suctioning off his very life force, so he quickly cut the ties between his magic and the violet magic, and pulled it all back into himself.  He then sat for perhaps ten minutes, eyes glazed over from sheer exhaustion, but still functioning then slowly limped over to where he had left the vial of wakeflower and waved it under the red-haired girl's nose.  

Her arm moved slowly, and she sat up, opening eyes.  He glanced at them, uninterested, then suddenly realizing that her eyes were purple.  Unnaturally purple eyes; they were the mark of a sorceress.  

"What am I doing here?" she asked roughly, voice rasping because of her dry throat.

"Gently, lady" murmured the half-asleep man, his body losing the fight to weariness and slumping down in slumber.


	2. A Disturbing Vision

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.

**Chapter Two – A Disturbing Vision**

Alanna stared at the fallen man, perplexed at his strange behavior, and if truth must be told, somewhat annoyed as well.  She looked at him closely and with a shock, recognized him as the teacher for the Gifted ladies.  What was his name….Sliversing, Silverstar, silver….  She couldn't remember.  Looking around, violet eyes wide, she realized that she had woken up in his chambers.  

Alanna felt her fury building as she wondered if he had brought her here to take advantage of her.  Breathing hard, she tried to calm herself down since there was no use in getting angry, and besides, her head was aching.  Thinking about that, she realized that it was not at all likely, because if her memory served her correctly, this master had a mild distaste always evident in his expression when he looked at the girls at the convent.    

 It was a pity, really, since all of the girls swooned all over him.  Alanna didn't really care either way.  If she had been allowed to, she would have refused marriage altogether. As it were, she was hoping to put it off as long as she could.  Marriage…!       

Suddenly Alanna was very wide-awake, her temples pounding, remembering all that had come to pass.  She didn't quite comprehend why she was in the master's chambers, but it surely had something to do with the events of the what was it…previous day, hour, week?

                                                                                                                        ~&~

The door was plain and unmarked with any kind of indication of what it contained, unlike nearly every other door down this hallway.  Alanna, somewhat curious, decided to enter the room to at least see if it was recognizable.  Her anger had been worn out, leaving only the dejection apparent in the violet of her eyes to show for it.  She laid one slender pale hand on the door and turned the knob.  It turned completely, but the door did not open.

Grunting, she pushed her shoulder into it, trying to use her weight to open it in case it was stuck.  It wasn't until she had worked up a sweat, that she realized that the door wasn't going to budge.  Sighing, she walked away from it, two steps, three steps, four steps.  

Then quickly, a determined glint in her eye, she swung about and rushed into it to see if it would fly open with this unexpected pressure.  It did not give and she rubbed her shoulder, wondering what had made her think that she could outwit it, for it did not have wits.  Perhaps someone with the Gift lived inside and had made the door intelligent, though.

Someone Gifted! That's it! There were spells on the door to make it stay shut.  She had heard of such spells, but not ever used one herself, or even seen one in use.  Not that there was much to see- it looked just like an ordinary door.  She herself had the Gift, but when all the girls at the convent had been tested, she had played innocent She had imagined herself a stone, her mind blank and slippery like freshly wiped glass.  

The teacher of the Gifted- she remembered his name now- was Master Silverstrip.  He looked bored and merely asked her name mechanically, stifling a yawn.  He then asked her if she had the Gift outright, and she, playing the innocent had said no.  When he had tested her, he no doubt mistook the blankness that Alanna had forced upon herself as stupidity and a lack of Gift.

She didn't ask to be born with the Gift!  It wasn't her fault it existed.  But magic was dirty and disgusting- she didn't like it.  Worse, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself, she was afraid of it.  It might overtake her and she might lose her very will and essence.

She could do little things with it, like light candles or even make illusions, for she and her twin brother, Thom, had done such when they were young.  She could even moderately heal by giving strength to a person from her own.  But she disliked to reach into herself and tapped the purple stuff that flew through her veins so strongly.  She did not, however, know that she couldn't just ignore a part of her.  The Gift would not just disappear when it was untrained- it would grow stronger and wilder.

She paused for a moment, battling inside herself, but she was never one to give up because she was afraid.  She looked at the door for one more second, and then closed her eyes tight.  Inside of herself, she felt for that familiar purple ball.  She searched for a long while, and finally she saw the essence, the center of her magic.  It was not as easy to find as it had been when she was younger.  She reached for it in her mind, teasing out a long violet thread, suffusing her body with it.

She bit her lip as the power filled her, and rode it out until it was bearably tamed.  If someone had walked through the halls that instant, they would have seen a girl glowing with a bright purple light.  She pointed her magic to her fingers and laid two upon the door to sense what kind of spell it was…she was not a _complete _buffoonwhen it came to her magic.

A shriek burst out of her…the fire in her fingers was burning…burning!  It filled Alanna, blinding her with unbearable pain and she couldn't pull her fingers away from the door.  The purple magic roared through the small girl, overtaking her.  Her vision blurred, then cleared into something totally different.

 '_A handsome young man stood upright on a polished marble floor.  The floor was covered with a pool of dark liquid, which Alanna recognized as blood.  The man stood straight, unseeing, eyes glazed over with pain although his body seemed whole and unharmed.  Different mixes of colors radiated from him- the most apparent were blue and violet and orange.  Slowly, a tiny flame caught on the blood.  But blood was not supposed to burn! Blood could not catch fire!  The fire spread, its hungry flames jumping about, consuming more and more of the pool of blood.  Slowly, the edges of the man's robes smoldered, and then caught on fire.  The fire spread all over him, devouring his body as he screamed and screamed and screamed.  Something flashed, a wall with orange runes written upon it.  As quickly as it was seen, it was again gone.'_

Suddenly, she had been able to see again, but she could not remove her fingers from the door.  Somehow she knew it was just a simple protection spell, but her Gift was out of her control and didn't seem to just want to overcome the spell so she could pass, but to destroy it and its very essence, not to mention stop anyone, ever from respelling this door.  Her Gift leeched her physical strength from her, until she fell to the floor, defeated.  

And finally, the door had swung open, leaving the girl on the floor, unconscious, and revealing nothing but a sorcerer's chambers.

                                                                                                            ~&~

Alanna felt cool relief in remembering this, although there was of yet no satisfactory explanation for her presence in Master Silverstrip's chambers.  She glanced down at him again, studying his features.  He was handsome, though in a pale way.  His features, although classically beautiful, lacked vitality.      

His blond hair was tangled now, and his eyes closed.  It was hard to imagine why most of her classmates had cooed over him, imagining that he would one day stroll into class and proclaim his undying affection from them.  Alanna herself had never gotten caught up in such silly games such as those.  That was not to say she had not been silly, of course, but she had never had crushes at all, not even on the young nobles who studied at the Convent to become sorcerers before being shipped to the City of the Gods.

She supposed that she should try to wake him up, so she hit him hard on the chest.  He did not move in response, so she began to shake him.  Furiously, she shook him, but still he did not move.

"_Leave him, my daughter."_  The source of the voice that was roaring through her ears, which spoke of cool summer rains at night, but also the feral roars of lions, both terrible and beautiful, was a hooded lady.  "_I will wake him once our talk is over."_

She pulled back her hood, and her features were perfect, so perfect that they could not have been mortal.  The corners of the crimson lips tugged upwards as she noted Alanna's stare towards her, and the smile extended to the perfectly shaped large eyes.  Her hair was as black as a moonless night and soft and luxurious as it fell past her shoulders, and only now could Alanna muster the courage to speak.

"Who are you?  And how did you get here?"

"_You know very well who I am.  I have no patience for ridiculous questions.  You, in particular, have been a somewhat troublesome character, haven't you?"_

"I'm sorry." Said Alanna, her throat dry. 

"_I do not have much time to give to you now, but know this: You are one of my Chosen." _Spoke the Goddess.  _"And although something went awry a long while ago in mortal time, you still have a great destiny for you.  You shall do great things, little one.  But for now, you must watch and wait, and do not seek trouble, for in time it shall come to you.  Go to Corus, my daughter.  You need not get married as of now-"_

"But I'm betrothed!! I won't go there!! I don't want to.  I'm going to run away!  And if I do go, I shall have to get married!!!" shrieked Alanna, frantically, being unnaturally frank with her.

_"If you run away, where shall you go?  For now, go to Corus and time will tell if you get married or not.  But realize Alanna, that you can choose your own path and I can give you only so much guidance without/ interfering.  And mind, love is not as horrible as it seems to be.  Do you understand?"_

"Yes" said Alanna simply, all denials halted in her throat.

_"Goodbye, my daughter.  Guard her well, Small One."  _Said the Goddess to something or someone near her.

"Small One?" she wondered aloud, then noticed the silky black cat perched next to her on the couch.  She looked at it and stopped the question asking it where it had come from in her throat, knowing better.  The cat stared up at her, with a gaze eerily similar to her own, and Alanna realized that it had violet eyes like her.

Unnerved for a second, she stared back into those eyes, and then relaxed.  Just because a cat had purple eyes, didn't mean anything.  She had purple eyes, and she was quite normal, wasn't she?  Well as normal as a girl who had wished to be a lady knight could be, she amended bitterly.  With many yowls of protest on the part of the cat, she checked to see if he was male or female, and decidedly concluded that he was the former.  

"What shall I call you?" she asked quietly, not expecting an answer.  To her great surprise, the cat responded.         

_'It's not up to you what to call me either way.  I am Faithful, and I shall remain Faithful.  Now, Master Silverstrip is waking.  Try not to be too rude.' _he yowled.


	3. A Most Vague Letter

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.

**Chapter Three – A Most Vague Letter**

Alanna sat slouched, although the prime purpose of the hard wooden chair was to keep young ladies' backs straight.  Her violet eyes were dismal.  Only the Goddess's words had prevented her from opening her window and climbing down the trellis to sweet freedom.  But who was she, a small purple-eyed girl, to defy a god?  

And besides, she was right...where would she go?  She did not want to go back home, and explain to her father why she was not married to the duke he had arranged.  She hated being treated like a horse, just changing hands for money, but she could not do anything now.  She sat silently, seething, knowing that somehow, someway, she was going to get out of this horrid situation.  

If she had not been so busy with her thoughts, she could have heard the strains of the conversation that had progressed to a shouting match in the next room.  Alanna had cursed the situation that she was in, only brought to her by her curiosity.  Damn her infernal curiosity!  She would not have to be trained in magic if she had only been more careful!

When he had awakened, Master Silverstrip had been feeling annoyingly well…and had known some annoying things.  He had insisted that she had the Gift, and that it must be trained, despite her attempts at wide-eyed innocence.  And now the First Daughter and Jared Silverstrip were having an increasingly loud argument about it.

Perhaps it was a good thing, though.  It seemed as if Master Silverstrip did not wish for someone with so much magic to leave the Convent quite yet.  She might end up being allowed to stay longer- which although not an inspiring fate was certainly better than getting married to some stuck-up lord.  

He had said that it was very dangerous to have a Gift that had not been trained because it could get out of hand and hurt people, and that Alanna had a gift for healing that she needed to develop.  The thin-lipped First Daughter was arguing that Alanna was to be betrothed and must go to Corus to meet her soon-to-be husband and beget children.  She did not have time to be schooled in sorcery, and only THEN sent off to the palace!!  

When the two red-faced, angry adults walked back into the study where they had left Alanna, she quickly squashed all of her doubts and sat up proudly.  

"Pack your bags." Master Silverstrip snapped, and abruptly left the room.

Alanna looked questioningly at the First Daughter.  The aforementioned old lady removed her spectacles and nodded, rubbing her eyes.

"Alanna, why were you in that wing?" she asked sternly, "Think more carefully about your actions for they have caused me a lot of bother.  I would punish you, but you are leaving the convent tomorrow.  And here, you have another letter."

"What about my magic?" asked Alanna, innocently, taking the letter held out to her. 

"You will learn with the young men at the palace." She said unhappily. "Although such an embarrassment is unheard of.  You need a chaperone.  I'll write a note to the Duchess of Crismon...yes, she's quite respectable.  And surely she'll do an old friend a favor."

"I'll learn with the pages???" asked Alanna, surprised.  Master Silverstrip must have had some good arguments to convince the First Daughter to even do that much, but now she was dreading Court even more.  She did not want to learn magic, especially with boys staring at her and treating her like a fragile little piece of glass.

"Yes, you'll learn with the pages and some squires too." said the First Daughter firmly.  "And now go to your room, and meet your serving-lady who shall accompany you on your trip.  You shall leave with her for the Convent tomorrow.  Sleep well, for I doubt I shall."  She swept out of the room in a flurry of dark skirts.

Alanna sighed and pulled herself out of the chair.  If worst came to worst and she could not avoid the betrothal when she got to the Palace, she would run away then.  Meanwhile, it was best to listen to what the Goddess had told her and not complain.  

She walked down the cold stone halls, silently saying goodbye.  Although she would certainly not miss the people, she would miss the familiarity of the Convent, and the beauty outside of it.  If nothing else could be said in favor of it, it certainly did have exquisite gardens.

When she entered her room, she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she at first did not notice the figure in the middle of room.  Therefore, she was quite startled when the girl coughed and curtseyed.

"Hullo."

"Who are you?" asked Alanna, rather abruptly.

'_She's your new maid.  And don't be so rude, Alanna.  You don't want her to know that you have no manners._' said Faithful.  Alanna knew now that only she could understand the cat when he spoke, unless he wanted others to understand as well.  She scowled at the cat, but realized the girl was watching and resolved to ignore him.                    

"I mean, what is your name?"

"Anirenne, but doesn't that sound rather too formal for a maid.  I mean, I should have a simple name, don't you think.  Ani, however, that sounds like the perfect name.  I don't think I could live up to being an Anirenne.  I'm much more an Ani, don't you think?  Well, I doubt you would know, seeing as you just met me." Said the girl, quite quickly.

"Oh, okay."

"Oh, miss, you're to go to the tailor and have some gowns made.  That lady that came in here, all angry like-"

"What lady?" interrupted Alanna.

_'The First Daughter'_ said Faithful.

"Well, she seems like the mean sort, all in a rush 'n everything, and she said that a good serving woman kept her tongue when it was needed and she did snap at me a couple times because I was talking.  I know I do talk a bit much, but you don't mind do you, miss?" said Ani, for she hadn't heard anything but a mewing cat.  
"No, not really."  Alanna didn't want to admit it, but she rather liked the talkative girl.  It was a welcome change from all of the bobbing servants and superficial ladies that surrounded her.  "Are you...do you work here?"

"Here at the convent?  Well, I did for a little bit.  But now I'm your maid.  It's grand, isn't it?  My ma and pa work down in a village some ways away, and we needed a bit o' copper, so I took up a job as the scullery maid, but then I dropped some dishes and the cook didn't have the heart to send me on my way.  She likes me, you know.  I remind her of her daughters.  Anyways, so the cook told a Lady that I would make a good personal maid.  And so I'm yours."

"Not to be rude, but I don't need a maid."

"But all the ladies are given a maid.  Who's going to dress you and fetch your things and help you pack and such?"

"I can do all that by myself…I'm not some pampered little…"  Alanna said, annoyed at the implication that she couldn't take care of herself.

_'Don't snap at her because of your troubles!_' yowled Faithful

"Honestly, lady, I meant no offense."

Alanna sighed.  "It's okay.  So you're coming with me to Corus, then?"

"Aye."  
"Alright, then I suppose you should call me Alanna." She said.

"But miss, it wouldn't be proper!" said the wide-eyed maid.  

"I don't care what's proper or not!  Just do as I say!

"Alright, miss.  But you are a rather strange noble, you know."  
"I know.  And it's Alanna, not miss."

"Sorry miss.  Oops, I mean Alanna."

Some time later, Alanna pushed the door closed on the retreating back of the brown-haired, doe-eyed maid who had just left, Faithful trailing after her.  He seemed to have taken a liking to Ani, or he just knew when Alanna wanted to be alone.  Exhausted from the day's efforts, although it was not even dark yet, she sank onto the bed.  The night before, once Master Silverstrip had been awakened, he had sent her to her chambers to sleep.  Unfortunately, she had not slept well.

Her slumber had been plagued by dreams- horrible dreams.  She dreamt of the man that she had seen in the vision, the one who was screaming and screaming as he was consumed by the flames.  She had woken up amongst sweat-drenched sheets.  

When she had tried to go back to sleep, she dreamed of standing in an ocean, except when she reached down to cup the cool water in her hands, she had realized it was blood and that she was soaking in it.  She could taste it, sickly and salty.  She woke up to find that she had bitten through her tongue.  

Even more horrific visions and dreams had come and gone through the night, and in the morning, a very bleary-eyed Alanna had consented to come to the First Daughter's study to speak with her.  She must have been sitting there for hours as the Daughter of the Goddess and Master Silverstrip argued about what was going to be done about her magic.

Now, she was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.  She just wanted to rest, but she knew that if she did, she would not wake up until tomorrow morning and she wanted to savor as much time as possible before she set out for the Convent.  Remembering the letter, she picked it up.  For a long while, she just stared it at it.

Slowly, as if in a dream she pressed it to her cheek and one single crystalline tear dropped down her cheek.  More followed the path of the first.  She was not a girl who cried easily.  Rather, the sobs were painfully ripped out of her chest.  She tried to quench them- she was not so weak that she cried at every little bump in the road, but they kept pouring down her cheeks, wetting her dress."At least I'll get to see Thom again."  She whispered, trying to convince herself that she shouldn't just open the window this instant, when nobody was watching.  At least when she had been young, she had had Thom with her to bear their father's neglect and to keep the terrible loneliness at bay.  Now, she had no one.  Some small part in her, a selfish part, wished that Thom were as lonely as she. 

She closed herself off to that little voice, made herself deaf.  She loved Thom, she wanted him to be happy.  And he had friends, good ones.  He mentioned them in letters sometimes, when he spoke of something else and they were involved.  He wrote about them with the familiarity that only a close friend could have.  She was glad of that, she really was.  And she was a little jealous of course, for she had not made good friendships at the Convent more because she had closed herself off to others than anything.

  Also, Thom was living out her dream...and who wouldn't be a little jealous at that?  Thom, however, told her about all the weapons and the things he learned, and for some reason when she read the words she could see the images in her mind.  Apparently Thom had not given up sorcery when he had gone to the palace. 

When they were young, she had been the one more inclined to become a knight.  She could shoot, hunt, fish, and trap.  She could even skin a rabbit faster than a grown man.  Thom was more interested in sorcery.  They had even had a brief plan to switch places, and even gone so far as setting out on the roads to their respective places, when a simple quirk of fate had stopped them. 

A snake had passed in front of the horse that their burly man-at-arms, Coram was riding, and Alanna had jumped from her horse and held onto its reins, calming the large beast.  Her hood had fallen back, revealing her to be Alanna, and not Thom, who was the one supposed to go to the Palace to become a knight.  Coram had made them ride to catch up to Maude and her twin and got both of them on their respective right paths.

Yet still, Alanna knew that she should have gone to the Palace.  After all, hadn't Maude seen it in the fire?  Along with that strangely spreading city of black stone that only Alanna had seen.  But Maude was content to just let the gods will what they wished and had refused to help Alanna once more.  She said that something would happen to change her fate, if it was meant to be so.  She would become a knight if the gods willed it.  And apparently, they had not.

Sighing, Alanna unfolded the letter.  

_Sister Dear,_

_            I heard you were getting betrothed.  Father wrote to me.  You most probably received his letter telling you.  I certainly am glad that I wasn't here to see the reaction to that little piece of information.  No, don't scowl at me.  _[Alanna WAS scowling]_  Seriously, now.  You're getting married to Duke Windelam of Cape Hannam?  I looked him up a bit for you.  I don't know what Father was thinking.  He's a bit, well… you'll see.  You'll meet him soon.  Don't worry, I'm sure we can find some way to convince Father to change his mind.  We have three months until the marriage, I hear.  Other than that, it really will be excellent to see you after all these years.  I'm sorry about the shortness of this letter, but I suppose that since I'm seeing you soon, it will be okay.  Don't do anything silly before that.  I miss you and would be rather disappointed if you got your head bashed in before I see you again.  Oh, and sister dear, be on the lookout for danger, will you?  I'm involved a bit in something back here._  

_Love, _

_Thom_

Alanna wondered at the last sentence of the letter, and decided that she would just have to confront Thom to get a straight answer.  She was sure that she could intimidate him still…and if not, she would merely dunk him into a pond.  He was right, of course, about it being excellent to see each other again, though.

A loud mew interrupted her silent musings.  

_'It's time to go pick out your dresses_" said Faithful.  '_Try not to hurt the poor dressmaker- it's only her job, after all.'_

"I won't!" retorted Alanna.  "And why don't you try not giving your advice where it's not wanted or needed!"

_'Ani is coming to get you.'_

"How did you get back in here anyway?"

'I have my ways.  Now get up and wipe those tears off.'

Alanna did so, even as a knock sounded on the door.

"Alanna..." called a now familiar voice.  "Miss?  Are you there?"

Alanna opened the door, letting Ani in.  The girl seemed excited about something, but stopped to curtsy before she started talking.

"Oh, miss, it's time for your dress fittings.  I went up there, just to see and tell the Mistress that you would be up soon, and such finery I've never seen in my life!  There's thick gold brocade and velvet, and oh miss, it's so pretty.  Come now, you have to get measured."

Alanna resigned herself to her fate and followed Ani out of her room and up a flight of steps.  

'_Have fun.'_ Mewed Faithful and she resisted the urge to throw a pillow at him.


	4. A Sleeping Beauty

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.

**Chapter Four – A Sleeping Beauty**

****

The horses' hooves clattered against the cobblestones on the dreary morning.  Alanna's violet eyes were closed in pretend slumber and Faithful was curled up in her lap.  She was bone-weary, but she couldn't let herself sleep, or she would sink into the nightmares again.  The night before, she had dreamed again and instead of sleeping, she had gotten up and sat on the couch and stared into the distance until dawn, ignoring the chill.

Ani began to tap her shoulder, but Alanna ignored her because she knew that it signified that they were close to Corus and soon, she would have to face the world once more.  She didn't want to get married and in the end, she knew she would end up running away soon before the wedding.  Thom could never convince Father to change his mind.  All of the Trebonds were as stubborn as pigs - insanity ran in the family.

There was another girl from the Convent in the carriage, named Juliana of Gorwar.  She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, but the corners of her lips had already begun to turn down from disenchantment and the eyes had tiny wrinkles at their sides although she was only sixteen, barely six months older than Alanna herself.  Always the perfect lady, she sat primly, delicate hands folded in her lap.

Juliana had a grating voice, which screeched away at your ears, and she chose this time to complain about the bumpiness of the carriage ride.  Her maid had gone to sit in front, next to the driver, but Alanna was forced next to her.  When Alanna heard her begin to speak, she gave up her attempts to pretend she didn't notice Ani shaking her and sat up, eyes opened.

"We're almost here." Said Ani, quietly.  She had said little this ride when Juliana had put her down at the beginning.

"Your hair looks as if birds nested in it." Said Juliana pompously.

"And yours as if they had taken a dump in it." she retorted, and Juliana made a sound somewhere between a cough and a disapproving "humph!"

_'Try to be mature, will you?_' said Faithful.           

Alanna ignored him and stared moodily ahead.  The rest of the journey continued in silence and Alanna ceased paying attention to what was around her and attempted sleep once more.  So, when the carriage jolted to a stop, she opened her eyes once more, questioning.

"We're here."  Ani whispered, to clarify things.

The sunlight was nearly blinding, as accustomed was Alanna to the insides of her eyelids.  When the spots cleared from her eyes, Ani was nervously playing with the edges of her handkerchief, pulling at the threads and making them fray.  Lady Juliana was gone, to where Alanna didn't know.  She looked around, expecting to see her twin, but he wasn't waiting for her as she had expected.

'_What do you expect?  You didn't tell him when you were coming.  Don't tear up now'      _

She almost kicked the cat for implying she was a crybaby, but curbed the urge when she remembered that she was at the Palace, and she would have to act ladylike, at least for now.  Besides, Faithful was right.

However, neither the cat nor the girl noticed the small green-eyed girl who was watching them from a window inside the palace.  Her eyes seemed glazed over, and if someone could see magic, they would notice that she glowed with entwined green and yellow.  

Alanna heard her stomach growl, realizing that the sun was quite low in the sky and she was hungry.  She had had naught to eat but some bread and cheese at an inn along the way, but that had been hours ago.  But she ignored the pleas of her stomach, because she had to find Thom. She could certainly wait a few hours to put food in her belly since she hadn't seen her twin for nearly six years.

She strode purposefully away, and after a moment's hesitation Ani followed.  She said in hushed tones that she would go to Alanna's rooms and unpack her trunk and such.  Alanna shrugged, not really caring if her trunks were unpacked or not, but she didn't really wish for Ani's company at that time, so she let her go.  Alanna told Faithful to go with Ani and he agreed to do so.

_'Don't do anything stupid while I'm not around._' he instructed her.

An infuriatingly formal servant whom Alanna asked directed her to Lord Thom of Trebond's chambers.  Alanna paused, wanting Thom to be proud of her at least for being a lady and straightened her skirt and wished that she had had time to change.  But then she rejected the foolish impulse and knocked confidently on the door.  She could hear voices inside…perhaps Thom had important company and he didn't want to be disturbed?  She bit her lip, unsure, but quickly straightened, her own pride making her want to look confident.

A voice called out to wait just a minute, and for a panicked moment Alanna did not recognize it.  Then, she calmed down, realizing that this was indeed the right room, but that Thom's voice had obviously changed and cracked and deepened in the six years that they had been apart.  The door opened and a man opened it.  He had tousled red hair and violet eyes and fell down with a large thump as the breath was knocked out of him and his twin sister engulfed him in a hug.

"Thom!!  Thom!!"  she yelled, not caring if her behavior was ladylike.

She drew back for a moment.  "You've grown taller than me." Alanna said, smiling, then let Thom up before hugging him again.  She did not notice the shaggy knight until he coughed and spoke to the air about how perhaps some people needed air to breathe.  Surprised, she drew back and let go of her brother.  The voices she had heard had no doubt come from the conversation that this man and Thom had been having.  She looked past the man, to see if anyone else was in the room, but it was empty save a chessboard with a game in progress.  The man was obviously not a squire, and he didn't look like she though a knight should look, so what was he?

"Sir Myles of Olau."  He said.

"You're a knight?" she asked surprised.

Thom choked back a laugh and Alanna turned to glare at him.

"It's okay.  There's a dancing bear in the city that's almost as shaggy as I am" said Sir Myles, with a twinkle in his eye.  At this, Alanna decided that she liked Sir Myles.  She liked him even more when he bid his leave of Thom, saying they could continue their game later, seeing as the twins most probably needed time to talk.

The door closed behind him and Alanna stared at it, even though the knight was long gone.

"Do you like him?"

"Yes...but what does he actually do…I mean how did you meet him...why are you friends with him?" asked Alanna.  "He's the oddest knight I've ever seen.  Are you his squire?"  

"Yes.  He's a desk knight.  So much easier than going out and doing who knows what like other squires are supposed to.  He teaches the pages and squires history.  He's always saying that the Code of Chivalry is too tough on knights, and I for one agree.  He's great company- he's quite well read, really.  He knows so much about past wars and battles and even has a little bit of magic in those scrolls of his."

The mention of magic caused Alanna to remember that she would be taking classes with Thom.  She mentioned it to him, but to her surprise, he was scornful.

"Oh you won't learn much in the classes for the Gifted here.  Duke Roger teaches them." He said, as if it explained it all.

"Oh?"

"Duke Roger is afraid people will become more powerful than him.  But I will one day.  I've been sneaking into the library during my free time and reading up on magic from the restricted section.  I'm quite good, actually.  But enough boasting.  What about you, sister dear?  You look quite...how shall I put this so I don't get pinned against a wall...bad?"  

"Oh, thanks." Said Alanna sarcastically.

"What's the matter, Alanna?"  he asked, violet eyes serious.

"I've been having these dreams, or visions.  I can't sleep at night and I'm scared, Thom."  She went on to describe the visions, and how they had started when she had used her Gift.

"What does this man look like?" asked Thom, focusing more on her vision than her experience with magic.

"He has blue eyes and black hair and is tall."  Said Alanna, vaguely.

"If you saw him again, will you remember him?"  
"Yes, I suppose.  Why-?"

"It doesn't matter right now.  We'll have time to talk another time.  Right now, you need sleep.  You're nearly dead on your feet."

"Didn't you listen to anything I said?  I can't sleep.  And since when have you been taking care of me?"  
"I'll ignore that because you're cranky when you're tired.  But I have a little spell that should work.  Here, sit down." Said Thom, gesturing to the sofa.  

He put his hands on her eyes, closing her eyelids while muttering some kind of incantation.  Quickly he drew a few violet runes, which flashed in the air before disappearing, and Alanna felt cold quiet oblivion as a dreamless sleep descended upon her.  She welcomed it; she needed it, for she hadn't slept in days.  

Thom looked fondly at his sister, who lay sleeping and quiet.  She was so fragile-looking, but only when she was sleeping and no anger was flashing in those violet eyes.  Now was the problem of trying to carry her back to her room.  Thom cursed himself for not walking back to her chambers with her, then doing the spell, instead of doing it here like a numskull.  He sighed - he wasn't one for physical labor.  

A knock at his door brought him out of his thoughts and he yelled for them to go away.  Amused voices chorused for him to make them to.  Sighing, Thom gestured at the door and it swung open, revealing a group of knights.  At the head of the group was a tall, sapphire-eyed man, whom Alanna would recognize from her visions.  Following the man into the room, were another four people: three men and one child whom people's eyes slid right off when they looked at.

"Jon." Thom said, greeting the Crown Prince of Tortall, and then each of the people he could see in turn with a nod of his head. "Gary, Raoul, Alex."

"Did we disturb you?" asked the large knight whom Thom had called Raoul jokingly.

"Yes." Grumbled Thom.

"Good." Said Jonathan "It's time you looked at something other than your scrolls again.  Much more of that you'll become all squinty-eyed like Gary."

"Me? Squinty-eyed?  How could you say such a thing?" said Gary, pretending to be very offended.

Alex didn't join in the playful banter, but looked past Thom to see a slender figure lying on a sofa behind him.  He cleared his throat and everyone looked at him.  Gesturing to Alanna, he asked wryly if they had interrupted something.  

As the others looked at his twin, Thom smiled.  "May I introduce my sister, Lady Alanna of Trebond?"  

"Pleased to meet you." All the knights chorused, before noticing that she was fast asleep, her long red hair flying all over.  

"Why is she asleep in your chambers, instead of in hers?" Gary asked.

Thom glanced at them, wondering if he should tell them about the vision.  Something inside him warned him that it would not be a good idea.

Glancing at Alex, who had walked past him to the chessboard, which still had pieces laid out on it, Thom said, "She was really tired, but she couldn't fall asleep.  So I cast a sleeping spell on her."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to let her sleep in her own chambers?" Raoul asked teasingly.  

When the small Thom of Trebond had come to the Palace, Raoul had been his sponsor.  Thom was full of pride, yes, but he really was a decent sort once you got to know him.  They wouldn't have him any other way, despite his short, violent temper and intense dislike for the physical labor involved in being a knight.  At first, Thom had locked himself up in his room and not befriended any of his year-mates, but slowly he had begun to trust Raoul.  And then, when Ralon of Malven had begun to pick on him, Raoul and his friends had beat him up, despite Thom's protests that he had wanted to do the deed himself.  Thom was taller now, and he had humiliated Ralon one day and caused him to leave Court, by soundly thrashing him in a fight, then hanging him upside-down in the air.  Thom had a large Gift- everyone had known it, but had mocked him anyways until the day Prince Jonathan had fallen ill of the Sweating Sickness.  Thom had healed him somehow, with the help of Sir Myles, who had most probably found some old spell in an old scroll or something.  Since then, he had earned the grudging respect of the others and become far friendlier.  He had rarely mentioned his sister, though, except to Raoul.  All even Raoul knew about her was that when they were little she had been deathly afraid of her magic, and that she was the one who actually _liked _fighting.

"Yes, but I cast the spell here." Thom retorted, sharply bringing Raoul back to the present.

"Why don't you just move her there?" asked Alex, from the chessboard, where he was finishing the game that Thom and Sir Myles had been playing.

"I don't want to." Thom said stubbornly.

Jonathan, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke up.  "It would be quite simple."

"Yeah, we'll help you." Raoul added helpfully.

"As if I want your hands all over my sister." He scowled again.

"We'll control ourselves." Alex smirked.

"No, I meant, just do a levitation spell.  I don't know how, but I'm sure you've read it somewhere or another." Jonathan said quietly, glancing up and meeting Thom's violet eyes with his own level sapphire gaze.

Thom's eyebrows drew together, somewhat annoyed that he didn't think of it himself. Then, he abruptly spoke a spell and sprinkled some sort of dust from a pouch on Alanna and muttered a few more words.

"Okay.  Now where are her chambers?" asked Raoul.

"I don't know." Shrugged Thom.

The knights stared at him.  Finally, Gary spoke.

"So we're just going to have a floating lady with us when we search for it?"

Just then a scratching at the door interrupted their conversation.  Jon opened the door and saw a silky black cat.  He let it in.  "Looks like we've got company." He said with a grin.

To the girl in the corner who was listening to all of this, Faithful mewed _'Go to your chambers now and sleep.'_  She nodded and left the room by way of the door that Jonathan had left open.  No one else had understood this exchange, not even Thom who had finesse for detecting foreign sorceries matched not even by Duke Roger, who was one of the most powerful wizards in the world.  However, he kept quiet about it, and played stupid so as to not disappear like all of the duke's other foes.

"Mithros" Gary whispered as he looked at Faithful. "That cat's eyes are as purple as yours, Thom."

The others crowded around Faithful to see, and he preened under the attention.  

_'Follow me._' The cat mewed and Thom jumped, surprised.  The cat could talk.  

"You're the tool of an immortal." He accused the cat.

It did not reply and all the others looked to Thom, surprised as the cat trotted away.  "He said to follow him."  

The four knights looked disbelieving, but followed Thom and the cat anyway.  Faithful trotted down a few hallways and up a flight of stairs before reaching the wing of the castle that belonged to ladies from the convent.  

When they knocked on the door that the cat had led them to, a tanned girl with brown hair and eyes opened it.

"Faithful?" she asked surprised, then looked up, confused, at the knights and one squire.  She didn't even notice Alanna floating in the air.

"It's okay.  I'm Alanna's brother, Thom."

The girl curtseyed clumsily and said that she was Alanna's maid Ani, and had Thom seen Alanna because she had been gone since they had arrived at the palace.  She then looked behind the five men and saw the red-haired girl floating behind them and gasped.  And sunk into a dead faint.

The knights looked at Thom, unsure of what to do.  Then Raoul shrugged and picked up the maid with his big hands and carried her inside the room, laying her on the sofa.  Thom gently lowered Alanna onto her bed with his magic, and pulled the covers over her, smoothing her hair.  He kissed her gently on the forehead, before realizing he had an audience.

"I think that's the nicest I've ever seen you been to anything that's alive." Said Gary, ducking when a pillow flew across the room to hit him.

_'Leave.'_ Mewed Faithful.  _'I'll take care of them.'_

This time all of them understood the cat, and with an odd glance at it, they left the room with the copper-haired girl lying inside and closed the door with a firm thump.  Thom secured it with a quick spell.  

"Goddess bless, Alanna."


	5. Magic Lessons

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.

**Chapter Five – Magic Lessons**

****

The frozen girl, the ice child, stood staring out the window upon the shifting mists of gray fog, as the two maids spoke about her as if she was not there.  And perhaps, she was truly not there, instead imprisoned inside of her own mind, a blank stone.  No one heard her silent screams, for she threw up an unbreakable shield against the world, which covered everything but her eyes.  Those lovely, expressive green eyes, told that she was as vulnerable as any other girl of thirteen, no matter what others said.  She refused to discard her mask, for years and years of her depths of power being used for evil and living in the presence of the coldhearted sorceress Delcroix had quickly banished the notion that anyone cared about her.  

Halris knew things that no one should have known, and saw things no one could have seen.   And now she saw the redheaded girl with the sharp violet eyes.  And she saw how the lady had dreamed of Prince Jonathan drenched in burning blood.  That lady had the hand of at least one god, maybe more upon her.  Her cat, that feline with the unnerving violet stare so similar to the lady's own eyes had proved it. He had told her to retire for the night, and she had unquestioningly obeyed, trusting him for some reason. 

She had felt drawn to the redheaded girl, known she was important for some reason.  As soon as she had arrived from the convent, her nose had begun to itch and she had closed her eyes and when she had opened them, she had been at the window, looking out upon a violet-eyed lady. 

She suddenly felt the cold fingers going through her skull once again (1).  She breathed deep; hiding what she knew about the girl Alanna behind a mental shield so subtle that one would not notice anything was being hidden.  If Delcroix had known that Halris was hiding something, she would have come to Tortall at once, to tie their powers.  If she did this, the magic would be greatly decreased, which is why she risked the child having her own mind (2).  What she did not know, was the Halris was old enough to deceive her and was doing so now.  The harsh probing stopped, as abruptly as it began.  If someone looked at the girl's green eyes, they would see that they were changing, now black and ancient looking, now cunning and narrowed.  They were hollows of madness.  

                                                                                                                     ~&~

'_Wake up!'_ yowled Faithful.  '_Wake up right now'_.  He was on the red-haired girl's chest, scratching at her face in a desperate attempt to wake her, but she did not stir.  The violet mist around her glowed more and more strongly, and she was pouring her magic into it.  The black cat scratched at her ear, but still she did not wake, although blood was pouring from the cuts.

                                                                                                                      ~&~

Halris, herself once again, trotted down the halls, following the cat to wherever he was leading.  The cat had woken her up a few hours before dawn, obviously terrified, and she sighing and knowing that she was not going to get anymore sleep, had woken up and washed her face.  

The cat arrived at the door of Lady Alanna's rooms and Halris followed him inside, and saw the copper-haired older girl upon the bed, glowing with a violet light.  Instantly, Halris knew what had happened.

"She's pouring her magic into a vision." She explained to the cat.  "We have to break it."

'_I tried.'_ Mewed the cat and Halris noticed the many scratch marks around the girl's face.  Sighing, she flicked a finger at the girl, slamming her power into her easily, then withdrawing when she felt something give.  

Alanna saw the man, standing in the blood.  "Alanna!" he screamed.  He could see her- was this real?  Was it not the vision?  Or was it real?  "Alanna, help me!"  The man was pouring his own Gift into the fight, but something, some orange-colored magic was still in him, and he was losing the battle.  

Alanna thrust her magic into the man, trying to fight the stuff in him, but suddenly a tiny orange flame caught on the blood and she could feel the pain bursting through her.  She bit her lip so hard, that she tasted her own blood.  She resisted the pain, pushing her magic into the man.  She saw the orange magic, it was dimming…dimming!  She was winning. 

Determinedly, she pushed even more into the man, trying to slam out the magic, but the orange magic started glowing fiercely once more.  And suddenly, a tendril of green magic, and a tendril of yellow magic twined around her, and she couldn't breathe or think or anything.  It was pulling her, pulling her away.  She was suffocating,, she couldn't breathe.  And then she saw the Goddess.  
"Take this from my hand" said the Great Mother.  She reached out, fighting the green and yellow, and took it- it was an ember stone, encased in some sort of glass.  Suddenly a tendril of the green and yellow magic reached out around her waist and pulled her back, shutting off the lights. She was sunk into darkness.

"She's just sleeping now.  She'll be hungry when she wakes." Rasped Halris.  If Thom had been there, he would have stared at her in awe, and even been frightened, for here was a little girl who was still standing after pulling someone back from death.  The ill effects of the great magic she had performed were merely the dryness of her throat.  Perhaps an untrained girl of thirteen was the greatest mage in the world.

Halris knew that she had to get back to her chambers, had to run as fast as she could, because somehow she knew that even now Delcroix was preparing to look through her mind and see through her eyes.  She turned and ran out the door, through the grim hallways, not ceasing her frantic race until she was in her own chambers, heart pounding and breathless.

                                                                                                                 ~&~

Alanna winced as she woke, not knowing why she felt so sore.  She ran a finger through her hair, surprised when she felt her forehead bleeding sluggishly.  She felt her ear doing the same, and she sat up straight, confused.  What had happened?  Her stomach growled at that second, and she realized that she was starving.  She quickly washed herself and dressed, wincing when she looked in the mirror and saw the scratches all over her face.  She cleaned them the best she could, but she was certainly going to give that cat a piece of her mind!  When she came out of the privy, she saw Ani awake, with a large tray of food in her hands.  The girl had obviously only woken a little while ago, because her eyes were still glazed over from sleep, and her hair was tousled.  

She blamed how late she slept on the journey, because she must have still been tired from it.  Either that, or Thom's spell had only just worn off.  The sun was high in the sky and if she had been a page, or even a squire like Thom, she would have had to be up and about hours before.

"Here you go, miss." Ani said with a yawn. The journey had definitely taken its toll on the brown-haired girl. "Faithful woke me and told me to get you some food, because you weren't to leave the room until he came back.  Did you know that he could talk?"

"Yes." Said Alanna grimly.  "Thank you."

"Great Mother Goddess!" Ani cried when she saw the cuts all over Alanna's face.  "What happened?"

Alanna swallowed.  "I don't know.  Let me eat" she snapped at the girl, her fear making her sharp.

"Okay miss." Said Ani dully, and Alanna instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little grumpy."

"It's okay miss, my Da was always cranky when he woke up too.  Shall I go get a healer?"

"That's alright.  I'll go find one after I eat."

"Alright, miss, if you're sure."

"I'm sure.  And call me _Alanna._" Alanna said, descending upon the tray of food hungrily.    

While Alanna was sipping an amber liquid that she had never tasted before, Faithful scratched at the door, and Ani let him in. '_Dreams are all well and good, if you don't kill yourself while you're having them.  And the Duchess of Crismon is on her way.  Do you enjoy eating as if you have no manners?  I doubt _she'll_ like it.' _He mewed.

"What do you mean, dreams?  And killing myself?" Alanna asked, something tugging at the back of her mind.

'_It's not important'___

_"_Don't tell me what's important or not! I say it _is_ important!"

Faithful didn't say anything, just stared at her as someone knocked briskly on the door.  Ani went to open the door, while Alanna hissed that she would find out later.  The black cat, however, merely licked its paw.  However, now the dreaded task of going to class was coming.  An over painted woman swept in, her makeup cracking on her face, revealing harsh wrinkles near the eyes, the result of years of frowning.  

She glanced, once, disdainfully at Alanna, and with a barely audible sniff, told her to hurry up and finish her breakfast because she was to be her chaperone for the classes in magic.  _She makes eating sound like an insult!_ Alanna thought wryly to herself, but was suddenly all too aware of her slightly mussed hair and wrinkled dress.  Sighing, she put down her glass, and stood, smoothing her skirt and curtseying once.  

"Wait! You forgot your shoes!" said Ani, as Alanna prepared to leave with the Duchess.  Alanna shot death glares at the girl, as the lady raised both her eyebrows. She detested shoes!  The corsets she could bear, the dresses she could tolerate, and the face paint and hairstyles she simply ignored, but those damnable pinching _things_ which wouldn't let her walk properly she abhorred.

Sighing, Alanna slipped on the pinching heels carefully, and wobbled up to save face.  She followed the Duchess out the door, teetering dangerously on them.  The respectable old lady walked a few steps in front of her, as if trying not to look as if associated with Alanna, so she contented herself with walking carefully, one foot in front of the other, behind her.  

_'I'm not coming.' _Faithful informed her as she turned the first corner. '_Don't trust the Duke and be careful.'___

She merely sniffed at him, and wanted to say she could take care of herself, but the Duchess was in hearing.  Besides, she kind of missed the company of the cat whenever he was gone, even though he was at times quite annoying.

'_You can talk to me if you think what you want to say.' _Faithful mewed, and then trotted away.

                                                                                                                ~&~

Alanna sat, spreading her skirts demurely around her in an imitation of the Duchess of Crismon.  The two of them sat in the now empty classroom, because even after getting lost once or twice, they were quite early.  Lone footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, and then, not a split second after, the maze of Palace hallways erupted into a loud, clanging sound.  Voices called to each other as a shuffle of feet could be heard.  Alanna did not peer outside of the room to see the cause of such commotion, but merely sighed and rested her head upon her arms.  When the Duchess made a disapproving sound, she sat up straight once more, this time craning her neck in the direction of the door as a man walked in.

He was very handsome, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties (A/N: is that how old he is? I can't really remember) He had blue eyes and coal-black hair.  His robes showed him to be a sorcerer, a powerful one at that, and he carried a staff with him, which had intricate designs upon it.  Something in the blue depths of his eyes was _off_, though, something menacing and cold was contained therein.  Alanna felt goose bumps rising on her bare arms, and mentally shook herself.  _I have no reason to be afraid._  The man smiled at her, and the smile did not reach his eyes.  He was handsome and charming, and the Duchess of Crismon warmed to him in a second.

"Lord Roger."  Greeted the aforementioned Duchess.

"Yes, and may I inquire whom your young friend is, beautiful Duchess?" he said to the elder lady, and she smiled, blushing prettily, and Alanna caught a glimpse of the girl she had been when she was younger.

"This is _Lady _Alanna of Trebond." She said, implying that Alanna was really not a lady at all and Alanna quickly lost all favorable feelings toward her.   She hissed Alanna's name warningly when Alanna did not acknowledge the Duke.

"I am Duke Roger." He said, flashing a white smile.  Alanna stood reluctantly and curtseyed, not letting her eyes leave the Duke's.  "I'm honored, Your Grace" She murmured, but he quickly joked, saying that "Your Grace" made him feel old and to merely call him Duke Roger.  

"Alright, Duke Roger." She said, extending a hand for him to kiss.  He bent over it, and she could barely restrain a shudder as she felt his lips graze her hand for a second

"I presume you are the young lady whom is joining my class?" he asked.  When she nodded, he continued.  "Do you mind if I test you for your Gift?" 

Remembering what Thom had said about the handsome, smiling Duke not liking people more powerful than he, she fluttered her lashes.  "Perhaps another time, my lord, for I am weary as of yet from my journey." She said, playing the part of a damsel in distress quite well.  Six years at the convent hadn't been for naught.  She knew now not only how to write invitations and dance, but also to evade things politely and give subtle, veiled insults.

The Duke did not look quite happy, but his answer was cut off when footsteps pounded into the room.  A boy of about her age with blonde hair entered, rubbing his eyes wearily and sitting down somewhere near the front of the classroom.  He pulled out a quill and began writing something or other and when Alanna nervously clutched her necklace, she found that he was glowing with a green light, along with his quill.  Surprised, she pulled her finger from her necklace as if it were a red-hot coal.  The boy stopped glowing.  The Duke was watching her carefully, so she smiled at him and he nodded and went to the front of the class to talk to the boy.  

When he was gone, Alanna sunk into her seat gratefully and unfastened her necklace.  Pulling it from her neck, she realized with a shock that it _was _a red-hot coal, instead of the amethyst necklace that she had been wearing when she slept the night before  (the amethyst necklace had been a present from Thom on one of her birthdays- she never removed it).  But it did not burn her.  Looking more closely, she realized that it was encased in a kind of glass and a silver chain was pulled through it.

_What is it?  And where is my real necklace?  Did somebody steal it?  Did ANI steal it?  No, if someone stole it, why would they leave a bauble behind?_Alanna wondered, and then sighing, started to put the new necklace in the pocket of her skirts.  She felt something in it, and pulled the thing out. It was the amethyst necklace. So it wasn't stolen. She fastened both necklaces around her neck.  When she finally looked up, she realized the class was almost full of boys, and one particular redheaded, purple-eyed boy was grinning at her.  She smiled back at him, but he gestured to keep quiet, glancing towards the Duke.  

"Today, we shall work on illusion-magic.  Lady Alanna, you may not understand right away, but soon you shall catch up, and you may ask your brother Thom of Trebond for help." Duke Roger said, indicating Thom with a casual glance, while Alanna shifted to a more comfortable position.  She glanced at the Duchess of Crismon, but the lady had worn her reading glasses and was now looking at a small book of dress designs.

Some ten minutes later, she was very confused and her pride refused to ask the Duke to explain.  She sighed.  _Everyone else seems to understand.  Why don't I?_  Then, remembering what Thom had said about the supposed uselessness of the class, she proceeded to sit silently and muse about the emberstone and its meaning.  She held onto it once more, and saw that the Duke had two stones on his desk.  He glowed orange, along with one of the stones.  

_What does the orange glow mean?  And why did the boy glow green as well?_  Suddenly a thought struck her.  She carefully pointed her magic at one of the shoes that she had discarded as soon as she had sat down and grasped the emberstone.  Sure enough, her shoe turned purple.  She realized that she was glowing as well.  _So it sees magic.  I wonder if Thom put it on me while I was asleep?  _As a present of some sort?  It seems like his kind of thing more than mine._  She resolved to ask him, even though something was tugging at the back of her mind, something that she knew was important and obvious, that she was forgetting._

However, Alanna lost sight of Thom in the crowd when the bell clanged, signaling the end of the class.  He disappeared into the crush, and she sighed as people rushed out of the room.  The Duchess had stowed her glasses and book away somewhere once again and now rose majestically and gesturing at Alanna to do the same.  She walked out the door, Alanna trailing behind her, and after the long walk to the girl's chambers, left her there abruptly and left, saying she was going shopping.

"You're welcome to join me." She said, implying that Alanna would not be welcome at all, and that this was mere courtesy.  

"Begging your pardon, my lady, but I must… wash my hair!"  Alanna blurted out.    
Once the Duchess was gone, Ani, who had been in the other room listening, asked if she should draw a bath for Alanna.

"That's alright. I think I'm going to go out."

"To where, miss?"

"I don't know."  At this, Faithful trotted inside and mildly asked, _'How was class?'  _

_'I didn't learn anything_' she thought to him silently, _'I didn't like Duke Roger very much, though he seems kind enough.'___

_'He's not.'_ The cat retorted.

A/N: 

1. Halris is a child with exceptional power.  She is sent to do the bidding of Delcroix, who is the lover of a certain evil Duke, who is also doing her bidding.  She is breaking away now, and hiding things from the sorceress, but sometimes her eyes look inhuman and scary, and this is when the sorceress is looking through them to spy on Tortall.  When the girl's eyes are like this, Delcroix will know anything that is said or seen around her.  However, Delcroix does not watch her at all times, and this is what enables her to speak with Alanna and Thom, and eventually break free of her bonds.

2. The only way for Delcroix to make sure that Halris is obeying her at all times is to tie her powers to the child's.  This makes an unbreakable bond between them, but decreases the girl's magic by a lot.  She doesn't do this because she doesn't know Halris is hiding anything from her and it seems like a waste otherwise.  She doesn't know that Halris is more powerful than herself, which is the only way she could hide anything from her.  


End file.
